Party Plate

ABSTRACT

A party plate composite for use at social gatherings and the like that serves as a plate for food as well as a holder for an eating utensil, a napkin, and a beverage container, to enable the user to hold all with one hand while leaving the other hand free to shake hands with others, or use a cell phone, to use the eating utensil or napkin, or to drink the beverage, said party plate composite comprising (a) a plate component for depositing food upon its upper surface, said plate component having an aperture depending through its upper and lower surfaces, (b) an coupler component for disposition into said aperture and for attachment to the circumferential walls of said aperture, and (c) a beverage container holder component appropriately attached to the lower portion of said coupler component.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/589,725, filed Oct. 28, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a plate for use at social gatherings and the like wherein such plate serves as a plate for food as well as a holder for an eating utensil, a napkin, and a beverage container, thereby enabling the user to hold all with one hand while leaving the other hand free to shake hands with others, to talk on cell phone, to use the eating utensil or napkin, or to drink the beverage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The prior art is replete with attempts to provide food and beverage combo serving units which the user may hold with one hand while freeing up the other hand to shake hands and socialize, or handle eating utensils (forks, spoons, knives, napkins). These attempts have been plagued, however, with complex designs which may be difficult to manufacture, such units often requiring the provision of expensive molding operations to fashion same.

Still further, some of the units disclosed in the prior art often serve only to provide a support means upon which the plate and beverage container are placed.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,251 issued to Farrell on May 16, 1961 teaches a plate and cup holder for restraining a paper plate and paper cup against upsetting or displacement by the wind or other intervening factors while leaving them in condition for receiving, respectively, food and liquids. The plate and cup holder comprises a base which includes a plate-supporting portion and a cup supporting portion formed integrally therewith and extending laterally from said substantially flat plate-supporting portion. The plate-supporting portion further includes a plurality of plate-restraining members extending upwardly therefrom and spaced around the periphery of said plate-supporting portion.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,967 issued to Ercolani on Jun. 9, 1992 describes a one-handed controllable plate and cup holder, preferably made of an injection molded resin, having a plate-holding means on one portion thereof and a cup or drink-holding means on another portion thereof, with a control means disposed upon the bottom of the assembly so as to permit the user to eat or drink therefrom with the other hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,010 issued to McSpadden on Sep. 13, 1994 reveals a portable food tray with cup holder for supporting food and a drink container adapted to be held by one hand of the user. The portable food tray is formed from a self-supporting sheet material and is shaped to include a generally flat surface portion and a cup-like portion sized to receive a drink container. The tray includes two ribs that divide the flat surface portion into separate compartments, such ribs serving to strengthen the tray. The undersides of the ribs are sized so as to accommodate a portion of the hand or wrist to further support and stabilize the tray.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,062 issued to Martin on Jan. 14, 1997 discloses a plate for serving food at a social gathering where the guests may stand and eat at the same time, said plate having a depression in its center, the upper surface thereof being capable of holding a cup and a lower surface capable of serving as a handle by which the plate may be held so that the other hand of the person holding the plate will be free to hold a utensil to eat the food on the plate. The serving plate is circular, and the depression in the center of the plate is frustoconical or cylindrical. The depression has ridges disposed on its lower surface for more effective gripping, and the upper surface includes an outer rim extending around the circumference of the plate, an inner rim extending around the depression in the center of the plate, and a food holding area between the inner rim and the outer rim. There are dividers extending from the inner rim to the outer rim to divide the food holding area into a plurality of compartments. Holes are disposed in the inner rim for holding utensils or napkins. Corresponding upper and lower surfaces nest so that a plurality of plates may be easily stacked.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,678 issued to Chen on Mar. 17, 1998 teaches a two-in-one paper dish and cup holder having a paper-made dish, cup holder integrally formed to one side of the dish, a thermal insulating pad disposed in the cup holder adjacent to the paper dish, and an arcuate connecting portion extending between the dish and the cup holder at one side thereof. The paper dish, the cup holder and the arcuate connecting portion together define a thumb hold for a thumb to extend upwardly therethrough, such that a user may hold food and drink at the same time with one hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,026 B1 issued to Bradley on Jul. 24, 2001 reveals a food and beverage tray which includes a plate section having downwardly extending legs and a flat area bordered by a tapered lip for receiving and supporting a plate. An intermediate section extends from the plate section and includes a downwardly extending conical hand grip and a slotted cup holder. A stiffening and finger-access indentation extends from the plate section up through the surface of the hand grip to the cup holder. A downwardly extending arm rest is provided in the plate section for engaging the forearm of the user.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,141 B1 issued to Cinque on Mar. 9, 2004 claims a refreshment center capable of holding a plate and beverage container formed of a rigid mold having a first end and a second end, a recessed portion sized to receive and hold a plate in the first end, and a hole and at least one L-shaped prong located in the second end to receive and hold a beverage container.

U.S. patent application, Publication Number US 2004/0262482 A1 to Lim having a publication date of Dec. 30, 2004 teaches an apparatus for use with a paper plate that includes a section of overlap that is attached to a portion of the rim of the paper plate and an extended portion that is generally disposed on the same plane as the rim and which extends beyond the original size of the plate. The extended portion includes a circular cutout for receiving a beverage container therein. The extended portion also includes a pair of beverage support members adapted to pivot beneath the circular cutout. A third beverage support member is pivotally attached at a lower end of each of the pair of beverage support members and when disposed under the circular cutout, forms a shelf to support the beverage container.

U.S. patent application Publication, Publication Number US 2007/0062939 A1 to Davis et al having a publication date of Mar. 22, 2007 teaches a one-handed support for a plate and beverage container having horizontally oriented parallel upper and lower supports including a vertical hand-grippable connecting member attached therebetween. The lower support is adapted to rest upon a planar support surface. The upper and lower supports include circular front and rear sections with a narrow connecting portion therebetween with the connecting member being anchored in the narrow connecting portions. The upper portion is sized to hold a disposable plate and includes a clip to hold the plate in place. Rear sections of the upper and lower supports define an aperture therein having annular grips sized to receive a beverage container. The supports include removable beverage container holders adapted to bold stemware in an inverted position.

U.S. patent application Publication, Pub. No. US 2008/0142528 A1 to Lim having a publication date of Jun. 19, 2008 discloses a plate including a cup holder on the bottom of the plate and substantially near the center of the plate, the cup holder having a cylindrical shape for receiving a top portion of a cup so that when the top portion of the cup is couple red into the cup holder, the cup and plate are secured to each other when the cup is in the upright position.

None of the above patents and inventions, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a plate for food and a beverage holder for drink designed to be held with one hand, leaving the user's other hand free to perform other functions and tasks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a composite plate and beverage holder designed to also include means for holding thereupon an eating utensil and napkin.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a composite plate and beverage holder designed in such a manner so that when in use provides a convenient and stable surface for the deposition of an abundance of food, such stability being further enhanced by the weight of the beverage when placed in the beverage holder.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a composite party plate and beverage holder of simplistic design and inexpensive manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will be best understood upon a reading of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications constitute no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the of the plate component forming part of the composite exemplary of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the plate component forming part of the composite exemplary of the present invention showing the centrally-located aperture thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the plate aperture coupler component which forms part of the composite exemplary of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the plate aperture coupler component which forms part of the composite exemplary of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the plate aperture coupler and cup holder component which form part of the composite exemplary of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts top perspective views of different configurations of the plate component forming part of the composite of the present invention showing respectively center and off-center placements of the plate aperture upon the various plate configurations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the plate component 10 forming part of the composite which is exemplary of the present invention. As shown, the plate component 10 includes an upper surface 11, upon which food is served, and a lower surface 12. Plate component 10, which may be made of a disposable paper, plastic or foamed plastic such as STYROFOAM, and which may be of varying shapes such as circular, hexagonal, oval, rectangular and the like, includes an aperture 15 depending through its upper surface 11 and lower surface 12, such aperture 15 being located substantially near the center of the plate component 10, as can be more clearly seen in FIG. 2.

While the present embodiment teaches an arrangement wherein aperture 15 is located in the center of plate component 10, placement of aperture 15 off-center on plate component 10 is also contemplated as forming part of the present invention.

Also depicted in FIG. 2 is one of what may be a plurality of elongated slots 16 disposed along the outer circumferential ridge of plate component 10 for the placement therein of eating utensils and/or napkins.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict, respectively, a side cross-sectional view and a top perspective view of the plate aperture coupler component 20 of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 3, plate aperture coupler component 20 is of a single-piece molded construction, and includes a plurality of convex, essentially rectangular plate retainer means 22 spatially-disposed upon the outer peripheral surface of the upwardly-extending beverage container means 21. Plate component 15 is preferably designed to slide down over plate retainer means 22 with plate component 10 being locked into place as it is wedged between the bottoms of plate retainer means 22 at its upper surface 11 and plate support means 24 at its lower surface 12, as will be more clearly illustrated hereinbelow.

Centrally-located between, and disposed near the bottom of the plate retainer means 22 are a plurality of horizontally-disposed, oblong-shaped perforations 23 extending longitudinally around the periphery of upwardly-extending beverage retainer means 21. Perforations 23 are so located in order to facilitate the disposition of any run-off of food juices or the like from plate component surface 11 into the bottom of beverage container holder 30 when the composite of the present invention is in use.

Integrally-formed on the lower exterior circumference of upwardly-extending beverage container holder means 21 is plate support means 24. Plate support means 24 extends longitudinally-outwardly from the lower exterior circumference of beverage container holder means 21, and is angled-upwardly therefrom.

Appropriately attached to, and integrally-formed with, the lower surface of upwardly-angled plate support means 24, at the juncture where plate support means 24 angles upwardly, is a downwardly-extending cup holder means 25 having a lip 26 extending horizontally around the interior surface thereof.

Plate aperture coupler component 20 may be made of any suitable material such as paper, cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam, metal, wood, stoneware, glass, carved stone or the like.

Beverage container holder component 30 is designed for attachment to plate aperture coupler component 20 by means of lip 26 of downwardly-extending cup holder means 25.

FIG. 5 is exemplary of the composite which forms the present invention. As can be seen, the party plate composite of the present invention is formed by coupling the beverage container holder component 30 onto the bottom of the plate aperture coupler means 20 followed by insertion through aperture 15 of plate component 10. Alternatively, manufacturing costs may be further decreased or minimized by the production of a coupler-beverage container holder component which combines plate aperture coupler means 20 and beverage container holder means 30 into a unitary structure. In such an embodiment the need for downwardly-extending cup holder means 25 and its integrally-formed lip 26 which extends horizontally around the interior surface thereof would be obviated or become unnecessary in the configuration of the party plate composite of the present invention.

In operation, and as shown in FIG. 5, the upper rim of beverage container holder component 30 is coupled with, and attached to, the lower interior circumferential surface of coupler component 20, and is locked into place through the provision of lip 26 thereof. The upper extremity 21 a of the upwardly-extending beverage container means 21 is then inserted into the aperture 15 of the plate component 10 to form the party plate composite of the present invention when aperture 15 of plate component 10 passes over the plurality of plate retainer means 22 thereby causing the upper surface 11 of plate component 10 to abut against the lower surfaces of the plurality of plate retainer means 22. As illustrated, the lower surface 12 of plate component 10 rests securely upon, and abuts against, the upper surface of upwardly-angled plate support means 24, and is, thereby, securely locked into place between the lower surfaces of the plurality of plate retainer means 22 and the upper surface of upwardly-angled plate support means 24 to form the instant party plate composite. A beverage container, such as a soft drink or beer can or bottle, is then placed into the beverage container holder means 21 and extends therethrough into beverage holder component 30, the base 30 a of which may be sat upon a flat surface such as a table top whereupon food may be appropriately deposited upon the upper surface 11 of plate component 10. The user may then pick up, and hold, the party plate composite of the present invention by grasping beverage container holder component about its outer circumferential surface.

While it is envisioned that the party plate composite will provide the requisite stability when food is appropriately placed upon the upper surface 11 of plate component 10 so as not to have the party plate composite tip over and spill the user's serving of food, it should be recognized that additional stability is provided to the party plate composite of the present invention by the weight of the beverage container placed within the beverage container holder means 30 as described hereinabove.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not to be taken as being limited to the accompanying drawings and specification. While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto.

It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology herein employed are for purposes of description and not of limitation, since the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A party plate composite comprising (a) a plate component for depositing food upon the upper surface thereof, said plate component having an aperture depending through its upper and lower surfaces, (b) a coupler component for disposition into said aperture and for attachment to the circumferential walls of said aperture, said coupler component including (1) an upwardly-extending beverage container holder means, (2) a plate support means integrally-formed on said upwardly-extending beverage container holder means, said plate support means extending longitudinally-outwardly and being angled upwardly therefrom, and (3) a downwardly-extending cup holder means being defined by the lowermost exterior circumference of said beverage container holder means, said downwardly-extending cup holder means being integrally-formed within an attached beverage container holder component, and (c) a beverage container holder component appropriately attached to the lower portion of said coupler component.
 2. The party plate composite of claim 1, wherein said plate is disposable.
 3. The party plate composite of claim 1, wherein said plate is made of paper, plastic or foamed plastic such as STYROFOAM.
 4. The party plate composite of claim 1, wherein said plate may have a variety of shapes.
 5. The party plate composite of claim 1, wherein said aperture may be located substantially near the center of the plate component.
 6. The party plate composite of claim 1, wherein said aperture is located away from the center of said plate component.
 7. The party plate composite of claim 1, wherein said coupler component is of unitary construction.
 8. The party plate composite of claim 1, wherein said interior circumferential surface of said cup holder includes a retainer means for fastening to the upper lip of a cup.
 9. A party plate composite comprising (a) a plate component for depositing food upon the upper surface thereof, said plate component having an aperture depending through its upper and lower surfaces, (b) a coupler-beverage container holder combination component for disposition into said aperture and for attachment to the circumferential walls of said aperture, said coupler-beverage container holder combination component including (1) an upwardly extending beverage container holder means, (2) a plate support means integrally-formed on the exterior circumference of said upwardly-extending beverage container holder means, said plate support means extending longitudinally-outwardly and being angled upwardly therefrom, and (3) a downwardly-extending cup holder means being defined by the lowermost exterior circumference of said beverage container holder means and the uppermost inner circumference of said downwardly-extending cup holder means, said downwardly-extending cup holder means being integrally-formed with said beverage container holder, and (c) a beverage container holder component appropriately attached to the lower portion of said circular coupler component.
 10. The party plate composite of claim 9, wherein said plate is disposable.
 11. The party plate composite of claim 9, wherein said plate is made of paper, plastic or foamed plastic such as STYROFOAM.
 12. The party plate composite of claim 9, wherein said plate component may have a variety of shapes.
 13. The party plate composite of claim 9, wherein said aperture may be located substantially near the center of the plate component.
 14. The party plate composite of claim 9, wherein said aperture is located away from the center of said plate component.
 15. The party plate composite of claim 9, wherein said coupler component is of unitary construction. 